Your Right to Know

WASHINGTON — U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has expressed regret to an Indian-born college
professor for jokingly asking, “You’re not a member of the Taliban, are you?” seconds before the
professor rose to ask a question.

Hagel’s spokesman said the joke was not directed at anyone in particular, and the defense
secretary called the professor, Robin Gandhi, to tell him as much hours after the Wednesday event
at the University of Nebraska, where Hagel gave a speech and took questions from the audience.

Still, the remarks have drawn considerable media attention, particularly given the announcement
this week that the United States and the Taliban intend to hold talks after nearly 12 years of war
in Afghanistan.

Hagel “expressed regret for any trouble that this caused the professor,” spokesman George Little
said.

“They had a very good discussion, and (Hagel) wanted to leave no impression that this joke was
directed at anyone in particular, including the professor,” Little said. He noted that the defense
secretary a little earlier in the program had answered a question about the Taliban, the Afghan
insurgent group.

Gandhi said in a statement that he was honored to hear Hagel’s speech and enjoyed the secretary’s
answer to his question about cyberweapons.

“Before I rose to ask a question, there was apparently some confusion that did not involve me,”
Gandhi said.